"Ingukgong Holds Company Dinner at Motel?"... Won Heeryong Says "Will Take Strong Measures" with Nervousness

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Report to the National Assembly
Discipline Lapses Noted in MOLIT Affiliated Agencies

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st.

As issues of lax discipline at public institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) continue to surface, Minister Won Hee-ryong found himself under pressure at the National Assembly.

On the 1st, during a briefing to the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Minister Won stated regarding the innovation of public institutions under MOLIT, "We will boldly intervene from the perspective of the public's expectations."

Regarding recent sexual harassment allegations at Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), he emphasized, "We will ensure that there is no favoritism or internal bias."

Seoul Iljun, a member of the People Power Party, brought up the issue, saying, "Recently, at IIAC, a manager-level employee attempted to sexually assault a university student participating in employment mentoring at a motel, but the attempt was unsuccessful," publicizing the incident.

Rep. Seo added, "The victimized student reportedly only made an internal report out of concern that it might affect future employment. However, during a subsequent internal audit, there was an employee who submitted a petition stating, 'Our company has a culture of holding gatherings at motels.' This is truly outrageous. Is it really true that IIAC holds gatherings at motels?"

In response, Minister Won said, "I have been briefed on the incident," adding, "Among the public institutions under MOLIT, including IIAC, there were several places without regulations concerning sexual harassment and misconduct. We will check whether related regulations exist across all institutions and conduct thorough investigations to take strong measures accordingly."

Minister Won also stated, "I believe the awareness and consciousness of members are important for preventing recurrence," adding, "Going forward, a culture of 'not covering up or overlooking' misconduct incidents must be established within public institutions."

On the same day, Minister Won once again announced a strong reform of MOLIT-affiliated agencies.

In response to a related question from Kim Hak-yong of the People Power Party, he said, "The owners of public institutions are the people, and the users are also the people," adding, "We will examine whether these institutions are making excuses, blaming others, and becoming interest groups for their own convenience."

Earlier, on the 5th of last month, MOLIT announced that it would form an internal task force (TF) involving private experts to initiate innovation efforts for 28 affiliated public institutions.

As criticisms mounted over last year's land speculation scandal involving employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and recent misconduct by LH executives uncovered by the Board of Audit and Inspection, Minister Won said, "The issue is not just about isolated incidents but whether we are working properly from the public's perspective," adding, "It is time to thoroughly review LH's missions and contracts. We will deeply examine and push forward whether organizational reforms are necessary, even if it takes time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.